Wendy Morton

HMG continues to collaborate with G7+ partners, International Financial Institutions and the global insurance industry, to strengthen availability and access to insurance for Ukraine following delivery of the 2023 London Framework for War Risk Insurance. We assist UK businesses engaged in Ukraine's post conflict recovery by supporting inward and outward business delegations, delivering webinars, producing dedicated business guides, issuing regular newsletters and supporting business partnerships.

UK Export Finance has financed a number of projects in Ukraine and is working with other ECAs to ensure a joined-up approach in meeting the immediate and post-conflict needs of Ukraine.

Limited availability of insurance to operate in Ukraine is a market access barrier for businesses to export, invest or operate in Ukraine. The expertise and global reputation of the London Insurance sector has continued to mobilise international support to increase risk coverage for real sector and trade finance under the 2023 London Conference Framework for War Risk Insurance.

In March, Minister Doughty and I joined an international roundtable hosted by Lloyds of London to maintain momentum and encourage insurance companies to reconsider the Ukrainian market. UK Export Finance (UKEF) continues to provide risk insurance for UK exporters trading with Ukraine.

The Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) was established on 10^th October 2024 with new powers to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of trade sanctions. OTSI is working with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and other relevant departments to take forward the conclusions of the cross-Government review of sanctions implementation and enforcement announced by the Minister for Europe on 15^th May 2025.

Last year, the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service, which will make it easier for businesses including start-up companies across the West Midlands and the UK to get support and advice to grow, export and thrive.

The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium-sized businesses across Aldridge-Brownhill and the West Midlands can obtain specialist advice on scaling up, accessing new markets, and receiving financial support through the British Business Bank.

Businesses can also access other Government programmes such as the Business Support Service, Help to Grow: Management, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors and the Export Support Service.

The High Growth Accelerator is a great example of locally led business growth delivered by the West Midlands Combined Authority through Business Growth West Midlands.

Last year’s pilot saw fifty SMEs on track to boost investment and turnover by £20m with the West Midlands. The High Growth Accelerator continues into its second year, and the Department will be working closely with the Combined Authority to support its outcomes.

DBT will be launching its New Business Growth Service which will make it easier and quicker for SMEs to find government advice and support and will be an integral part of the SME Strategy that will be published in 2025.

The High Growth Accelerator is a great example of locally led business growth delivered by the West Midlands Combined Authority through Business Growth West Midlands.

Last year’s pilot saw fifty SMEs on track to boost investment and turnover by £20m with the West Midlands. The High Growth Accelerator continues into its second year, and the Department will be working closely with the Combined Authority to support its outcomes.

DBT will be launching its New Business Growth Service which will make it easier and quicker for SMEs to find government advice and support and will be an integral part of the SME Strategy that will be published in 2025.

The High Growth Accelerator is a great example of locally led business growth delivered by the West Midlands Combined Authority through Business Growth West Midlands.

Last year’s pilot saw fifty SMEs on track to boost investment and turnover by £20m with the West Midlands. The High Growth Accelerator continues into its second year, and the Department will be working closely with the Combined Authority to support its outcomes.

DBT will be launching its New Business Growth Service which will make it easier and quicker for SMEs to find government advice and support and will be an integral part of the SME Strategy that will be published in 2025.

The Department for Business and Trade has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis includes con-sideration of impacts on businesses and economic growth and concludes the package could have “a positive but small direct impact on economic growth” and will “help to raise living standards across the country and create opportunities for all.”

This represents the best estimate for the likely impacts given the current stage of policy development. We plan to refine our analysis as policy development continues, working closely with external experts, businesses and trade unions.

The Secretary of State, responsible Ministers and policy officials meet regularly with their counterparts in HM Treasury. This includes on discussions related to delivering the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation through the Employment Rights Bill. Our analysis shows the package could have “a positive but small direct impact on economic growth” and will “help to raise living standards across the country and create opportunities for all.”

This represents the best estimate for the likely impacts given the current stage of policy development. We plan to refine our analysis as policy development continues, working closely with external experts, businesses and trade unions.

My department have and continue to hold discussions on attracting private investment to the West Midlands and across the UK. We work with clients to understand their requirements and to reduce barriers which inform the client’s decision to locate in the region.

The West Midlands region continues to attract FDI across sectors to enhance economic growth and prosperity. My department, as announced, will include the new expanded Office for Investment which will lead the work on attracting investment into our cities and regions.

My department, with officials from FCDO, directly supported a number of Combined Authority leaders on this visit to China, which included the Mayor of the West Midlands. The programme focused on strengthening growth across regions to enhance investment and diplomatic relationships. Economic growth and investment remain a fundamental priority for this Government, and we will continue to support regional mayors and our nations to forge global relationships with investors and businesses to promote the UKs investment credentials.

On Tuesday 18 March, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and the Special Envoy to the UK Mark Burnett in Washington DC. The meeting followed last month’s agreement between the Prime Minister and President Trump that teams would start working together on an Economic Prosperity Deal, building on our shared strengths and commitment to economic security. Ministers and officials will be continuing discussions moving forward.

This government is committed to creating a fairer business rates system for small businesses on the high street. From 2026-27, we will introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values of less than £500,000.

We recognise that businesses will need support during this period of transition. RHL relief will be extended for one year at 40% and the small business multiplier will be frozen for one year. This package is worth over £1.5 billion in 2025-26 and is aimed at supporting the most vulnerable businesses.

Our new Business Growth Service will make it easier for businesses across the UK to get the help, support and advice they need. It will bring together existing offers including Business Support Service and the network of local Growth Hubs across England. Our forthcoming Small Business Strategy will set out how we intend to further support small businesses on the high street and beyond.

In their meeting on 27 February, the Prime Minister and President spoke about the fair, balanced and reciprocal economic relationship that the UK and the US enjoy. They agreed to deepen this relationship, and tasked their teams to work together on an economic deal focused on tech. We are in regular discussions with our US counterparts, and we will set out more details as conversations evolve.

The UK is exploring various avenues to strengthen UK-U.S. trade ties and support economic growth, in tandem with development of the Industrial and Trade Strategies. The UK continues to deliver against commitments in signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with individual U.S. states, to help UK businesses deepen their commercial links and facilitate trade.

The UK most recently signed an MoU concerning co-operation on economic relations, trade and investment with the State of Colorado on 27 January 2025

The provision of Free Allocation under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) mitigates the risk of carbon leakage by reducing industrial sectors’ exposure to the carbon price.

The UK ETS Authority is reviewing Free Allocation policy to ensure it targets sectors most at risk of carbon leakage and consulted on its approach to carbon leakage assessment. DESNZ officials have engaged extensively with representatives from energy intensive industries and carefully considered the methodology used to determine carbon leakage risk, including the data sets used in calculations.

The outcomes of the Free Allocation Review, including the data used to assess carbon leakage, will be published in an upcoming Government Response accompanied by an Impact Assessment.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

The Government recognises that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. We have recently consulted on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households on a qualifying means-tested benefit into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation closed on 24 March and DESNZ is considering the responses received.

I have been clear with suppliers that they should do all that they can to support their customers – including vulnerable consumers – who may be struggling with their bills.

The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future, including those within the West Midlands. The Government will partner with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan.

As the first step towards the Warm Homes Plan, the Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1 billion of this allocated to 2025/2026. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course.

I have made no such consideration. The UK sources the oil and gas we use from domestic onshore and offshore fields and on the international market. The UK also trades electricity with several nearby countries, as well as the Isle of Man. This is all done by the commercial sector, not by the Government.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) does not collect local-level data specifically on pensioners in fuel poverty. The latest estimate of the fuel poverty rate in the Aldridge-Brownhills constituency, based on the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) metric, was 13.2% of households in 2023 (Table 3 of the sub-regional fuel poverty statistics).

Statistics on fuel poverty in England in 2024 by age of the oldest person in the household can be found in Table 23 of the fuel poverty detailed tables.

The latest official Fuel Poverty Statistics for England were published in March 2025 on gov.uk here: Fuel poverty statistics - GOV.UK.

The Government knows that more needs to be done to support vulnerable households that are struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power.

The Government’s Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme provides targeted support to eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate off their winter energy bill. The scheme provides rebates to pensioners in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, the vast majority of whom receive the rebate automatically. In February, we published a consultation on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. This would see an increase in those in receipt of the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit receiving a discount next winter.

I have been clear with suppliers that they should do all that they can to support their customers – including vulnerable consumers – who may be struggling with their bills.

Building on the work I did with energy suppliers to agree the £500 million Winter Commitment to help customers last winter, I am now also leading a working group with Energy UK and other stakeholders to consider how we can take further sustained action on improving affordability and accessibility of energy.

The Department is still considering the findings of the independent research, which looked at the size and nature of the prize draw market, as well as possible gambling harm associated with these products. This research is informing our policy considerations, as whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections are in place. We will update Parliament further in due course.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations.

The Government is committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk.

We will provide further updates to the House soon.